Customer Reviews

Dictionary of 1000 Spanish Proverbs: With English Equivalents (Hippocrene Bilingual Proverbs)

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This book is excellent for someone like myself, a truly bilingual person of hispanic heritage who needs a reference book on spanish proverbs. The foreword is insightful, educational, and culturally accurate. The body offers a comprehensive collection of proverbs, which beautifully capture the wry nuance and wit of the spanish language. The translations attempt to convey the meaning of each proverb, rather than the literal content. It might have been useful to include literal translations as an adjunct. Even still, it would be impossible to to fully convey their true color. Proverbs are rooted in cultural allusions and references that conjure up images and correlations which simply cannot be taught. Every culture has its distinct sense of humor and one cannot not learn it by reading. It has to be experienced. Of note, this book is now out of print and the publisher has no intention of printing further copies. What a shame.

If you already speak both English and Spanish fluently, then you might enjoy this book. But most of us read bilingual books to increase our language skills. This book often pairs up English and Spanish proverbs that are quite different from one another. "Abril, aguas mil" is translated as "April showers bring May flowers." There is no literal translation of either the Spanish or the English. What is the point of a bilingual book where the "translation" is that creative - if not just plain wrong?

The "Dictionary of 1000 Spanish Proverbs" is an excellent reference book for anyone interested in the use of proverb used throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Considered to be an intelligent, mature way of making a point or sending a message, Spanish proverbs have been used for centuries.

Edited by Peter Mertvago, this book published by the great language staff at Hippocrene Books is listed in alphabetical order according to subject. Each proverb has an English translation that allows readers, especially those learning Spanish, to translate and even use these proverbs in everyday speech.

Some are funny, others wise, while other proverbs are just plain odd, however the "Dictionary of Spanish Proverbs" will keep readers entertained and amused for hours. This book makes an excellent gift or purchase for Spanish language and/or culture majors, or anyone who has a huge interest in Spanish/Latin American culture in general. The book is a compact compact, which is great, especially if you are on the run or traveling. It makes a great read during an average commute to work or on a flight.